1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wire management system for the arrangement of a plurality of cables such as telephone and data cables in a cross-connect apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is common practice in both the voice and data transmission industry to localize a plurality of interconnections for the voice and data transmission lines. For example, in the telephone industry, it is common practice for the plurality of lines which run to the telephone company to be localized in one area, and in the same area to have an interconnection to the individual work stations. In this manner, the telephone line from the telephone company can be interchangeably connected to the individual work stations without rewiring from the phone company connection to the work station. This type of localization is typically referred to as a cross-connect system where the cross-connection is that from the connection to the telephone company made to the connection for the individual work station. While the accumulation of these plurality of cables is desirable from an interconnection and changeability standpoint, when a large group of wires are accumulated in any one area, the wires are typically difficult to manage. A need has arisen in the voice and data communications industry to provide a wire management system to manage wires from both the front side of a panel which has components thereon and also to manage the wires on the rear side of the panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,485,937 shows a wiring duct and a cover member where the duct includes flexible finger members 30 extending from each edge of a base section 20 where the fingers receive therebetween a plurality of cables such as 12. The cables 12 could run straight through the opposed spacing between the fingers or could be fed through the duct member and later through a further opening. Typically, this type of system is fixedly mounted such that the base is rigid relative to a wall.